Metal door



A Feb. 22, 1927.

A. J. coNNELL ET AL v A METAL DOOR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 ons' Filed Feb. 25, 1922 ENT he y ndreu/ J Gonne/l ,Imam IFM ATTORNEYS Quinn' Feb. 22, 1927.

A. J. CONNELL ET AL METAL DOOR Filed Feb. 25, 1922 .s Sheets-smet s INVETOR Jacoa oms/v 190400514' 60 Patented Feb. 22, 1927.

narran s'rATEs PATENT orricn.

ANDREW J. OONNELL Ann JACOB COHEN, or COLLEGE reinar, NEW Yoan.

METAL DOOR.

Application filed February 25, 1922. `Seri-a1 No.7539,164.

This invention relatesrto metal doors, and more particularly to the. construction ot frame-members for such doors. f

The stiles 'and rails of metal doors of usual construction comprise a simple deep'channel f piece, to the open margins of which are attined panel engaging` moldings. Numer us types ot moldings have been employed, and dilierent means for securing them to the stilesv or rails, but 'the resnlts have not been altogether satisfactory. Moreover with stiles or rails con'lprising sheet metal channels, it is desirable to reinforce and hold in spaced relation the open margins of the channels.

The principal object of this invention is, therefore, to provide in a sheet metal framemember for doors comprising a channel shaped body-portion, an improved member to connect together and reinforce the margins and also to provide simple rectilinear slots within and parallel with the sides ot the frame member JJor securing the panel engaging moldingsv to the body-portion ofthe frame-member- In previous constructions, there have been employed clamping members to hold together the moldings and body-portions com-v prising the rails or stiles, which clamping members were so arranged as to require that they be slid longitudinally into. place after the moldings had been positioned on the bodyportions, thus encounteringy considerable rictional resistance to bein-g set in place'.

A further object of the invention is the-refor'e to provide a retaining member which may be inserted transversely into place in the body portion oit the iframe member and tasa,

tened thereto, thereby avoiding the frictional resistance aforesaid, and which will, when so` fastened, provide rectilinear slots towpermit movement transversely of the molding to sheath the molding` margins.A

Still another object of the invention is to provide a retaining member suitable for retaining in position moldings comprising either one or a plurality of parts.

The invention will be more: readily understood by reference to the accompan-yingy drawing illustrating one embodiment there of, and in which: f

F l is a perspective view ot a section of one door iframe-member,5a d n Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the invention applied to amodiiied frame-member.

3 is a view partly in section of a door prior to assembly.

Fig. fl Vis an elevation of the completed door.

Fig. 5 is a section on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a section on line 6--6 of Fig. 3.

ln; Fig. l there is shown a channel-shaped member l composed oi a single piece of sheet metal having an edge plate and parallel side walls and comprising the bodfyeportion of a rail or stiley iframe-member. The upper margins of the channelshaped member are inturned at 2, these inturned portionsV being further bent to provide reverse-ly extending marginal portions 3. lfvhile the particular angle vbenveen the portions 2` and the side. wallsof the channel-sliaped member is immaterial, the reversed portions 3 should be. substantially parallel to each other, as will become apparent hereinafter. A. one piecemolding lcon-iprises a panel receiving portion 5, two ornamental side walls 6, each having a base portion 7 and two parallel marginal portions 8. The recess 5 is adapted to engage apanel 9 of any usual type, but is particularly designed to hold' an indestructible panel, such as. one or more sheet metal plates with or without interstitialpacking. is seen, the base portions 7 lie in the sameI plane and are adapted to rest upon thepportio-ns 2: of the channel member 1. The margins 8 of molding a are spaced soy as to overlie and be in Africtional contact with the inner surfaces of margins 3' "of the bodyportion l of the frame-member. Thus in assembling a door the molding is applied to the rail or stile l byl a mere transverse movement, no movement longitudinally of the molding or'bo'dy-portion being required'.

Wh-ile there is some Jfriction between portions 7y and 8 of the molding and porti-ons 2 and 3 of the body, such engagement would not be sufficient to positively prevent a relative movement therebetween, nor would the structure as thusfar described be` suiiiciently strong to withstand ordinary wear and tear; In order to further secure the molding tov its bodyfportion, there is therefore pro-vided a tran-sversely-disposed retaining member l0 which is bent intermediate itsopposite edges to provide a channell portion having parallel side walls 11 whose outer surfaces are spaced to abut against or rietionally engage the inner' surfaces oit margins 8 of'the molding when the same are inserted within the rectilinear longitudinally disposed slot formed by bending the reverse portions 12 to lie in parallel planes. Said reverse portions are spaced to abut against or frictionally engage 'the outer surfaces of reverse margins 3 of the body-portion, so that the seat for the marginal flanges 8 of the molding is between said reverse margins 3 of the body-,portion and the walls 11 ot the channel portion of the retaining member. The said retainingmember further comprises two lateral extensions 13 of suilieient length to span the inside clearance between the reverse margins 3 and the side walls et' the body-portion 1 of the frameanember. The retaining1nember is thus seen to consist of' a plate having two rectilinear grooves comprising the suhstantially parallel side walls 11 and 12, the portions 10 and 13 being the main plate portions, since these latter portions might lie in the same plane without departing from the spirit of the invention. Owing to the parallelism of the side walls of the grooves in the,retaining-membcr and to the fact that the entrance to these grooves is unob structed by the web portion uniting them, it will be seen that the retaming-member may be set in place by a purely transverse 1noven'ient,`unlike previous clamping-mem bers which had to be forced longitudinally of the molding and body-portions after their assembly. hiloreover, the retaining-member is preferably placed in operative relation and fastened to the body-portion before connection to the molding, thus forming independent frame-melnbers or units having recn tilinear grooves in one edge. ln any case, y the retaining-member is most desirably permanently secured to the body-portion, most advantageously by spot welds uniting surfaces l and 13. W here still greater strength is required the margins 14. of the retainingmember may be bent to lie in frictional con tact with the side walls of body-portion 1, but such portions lit are not an, essential of the invention. In case such marginal portions are providi-al, they may, it desired, he welded to the side walls. y

ln Fig. 3 there is shown a modified molding comprising a main portion 15 having par allel lower margins 8 identical with those olr nmlding el. also provided with a portion 5 to support a panel. This type of molding is provided for use with panels of glass or other relatively fragile material which is subject to replacement. and while the framemember construction is substantially identical willi that described for the modification shown in Fignl it is seen that moldingr 15 does not hold both edges of panel 9. rl"here therefore provided an additional strip 16 which may be ren'iovably secured to molding l5 as by screws 17. The retain ing-member 10 is in every respect the same as that employed with the other modification, so that but one type of body-portion 1 and retaining-member need be assembled and carried in stock in order that -lramemembers for doors having either' lifted panels or removable panels may be constructed upon short notice.

The employment et the elements thus `tar described in constructing moldings, such as shown in the drawings, gives, a sufficiently strong and rigid structure for doors o't small or medium size, up to seven feet in length :tor example, when the rails and stiles are merely united at the tour corners of the door in any conventional manner. For example we may, as illustrated in Figs. 3 within and between the inner surfaces of the opposite side Valls ot' the top and bottom rails horizontal channels 15 having extension ends 1F which extend into and fit between the side walls oi the stiles and we may also provide vertical spanning channel members 1G extending partially within the rail members also itting, when the parts are brought together in assembly, between the side walls of the stiles, the marginal portions 2 and 3 of the body portions -ot the stile trame members and the retaining inember portions heilig cut away at the corners oi' the door as at 17 to permit. insertion olf the parts 15L and 1G, which are fastened to stile and rail by any well known method such as spot welding. With larger doors or those subject to severe conditions in use, there may be, however, some tendency for the molding to be drawn away li'rom the retaining member. In order to absolutely prevent this, there are most. desi rably provided a suitable number ol` locking members 1S, each comprising a straight sided pin, and made by cutting ofi' lengths oi" small wire rod. After the cluinmels l, retaining-mem bers l() and moldings have been assembled, holes for pins 13 are drilled through one wall of the channel l, the adjacent marginal portion la ot the retaining meilibel-.milE such portion is eniployed,the side walls` 1l and 1Q of both grooves of the retaining member` the marginal portions 3 and 8 oll` the channel and molding, respectively. These holes are drilled at suitable distances, such as every two "feet, and, it is to be noted, do not extend through the nuirginal portion lll and side wall of the channel l on the side oi the. channel opposite to that in which drilling ot the holes commenced. By making all the pins 18 of uniform length such that. when the inner end is forced into contact with the inner surface of the ilarther margin la; o1 the retaininganemher, the head olI the pin will be flush with the outer surface ot the side wall of channel l through which the and 5, lit

pin was inserted, the pins are rendered Pra@- tiioally nvsblein .the finished article. In order t0 anchor eaehnn., its head; is moet desirably nnited as by spot Welding to the side wall of channel lrwhich it pierces.

l/Vhile the inventien has been described in connection with 4two pa icnlar forms of panel engaging molding, it is obvious that numerous departnres from the structure described might be mad-e Without in any case departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1v. A sheet metal door embodying apanel, a panel molding having integral and spaced rectilinear marginal flanges extending parallel with the surfaces of said panel on opposite sides thereof, and hollon7 stile and rail frame-members, each'substantially rectangular in cross-section and having in one edge spaced rectilinear slots extending in the same direction. as said molding flangesA and forming seats for sheathing said flanges `by a relative transverse movement of said frame member and said molding.

2. A sheet metal door embodying a panel, a panel molding having integral and spaced rectilinear marginal flanges extending parallel With the surfaces of said panel on opposite sides thereof, and hollow stile and rail frame-members, each substantially rectangular in cross-section and having in one odg-e spaced rectilinear slots extending in the same direction as said molding flanges and forming s-eats for sheathing said flanges by a relative transverse movement of said frame member and said molding, and means for uniting the rails and stiles at the four corners of the door to retainall the parts of the door together.

3. A sheet metal door embodying a panel, a panel molding having integral and spaced rectilinear marginal flanges extending parallel with the surfaces of said panel on opposite sides thereof, and hollow stile and rail fram-e-members, each substantially rectangular in cross-section and havingrin one edge spaced rectilinear slots extending in the same dir-ection as said molding flanges and forming seats for sheathing said flanges by a relative transverse movement of said frame member and said molding, means for uniting the rails and stiles at the four corners of the door to retain all the parts of the door together and a pin passing transversely through one of the Walls of said frame member and through said groove Walls and molding flanges to mor-ev securely lock the molding, frame members and panel together.

4. A sheet meta-l door embodying a panel, a panel molding having integral and spaced rectilinear marginal flanges extending parallel with the surfaces of said panel on opposite sides thereof, and separable stile and rail frame-members, each comprising a body- 5. A sheet metal door embodying a panel, Y

a panel molding havingv integral and spaced rectilinear marginal flanges extending parallel With the surfaces ofsaid panel on opposite sides thereof, stile and'rail framemembers independent of e'aohother and each comprising a channel-shaped body-portion formed of a single piece of sheet metal having an edge plate and spaced parallel side Walls provided with free parallel marginal flanges and a retaining member arranged across the space between and fastened to the marginal flanges of said channel-shaped body-portion to form a substantially rectangular, tubular unit, said retaining member having spaced longitudinally disposed rectilinear grooves forming seats for sheathing said molding flanges by a relative transverse movement of the frame members and said molding.

6. A sheetmetal door embodying a panel. a panel molding having integral and spaced rectilinear marginal flanges extending parallel with the surfaces of said panel on opposite sides thereof, stile and rail framemembers independent of each other and each comprising a channel-shaped body-portion formed of a single piece of sheet metal having an edge plate and spaced parallel side walls and provided with inturned portions and reversely extending margins arranged to provide an open edge provided with free parallel marginal flanges and a retaining member arranged across the space between and fastened to the marginal flanges of said Arectilinear marginal flanges extending parallel With the surfaces of said panel on opposite sides thereof, stile and rail frame members, each comprising a channel-shaped ychannel shaped bodyportion to form a sub body-portion :formed of a single piece o't sheet metal having an edge plaie and parallel side walls and provided with inturned `portions and inversely-extending marginal portions, extending parallel with said niolding flanges and a retaining member arranged across the open edge of said channel member and having spaced grooves litting over said reversely-extemling margins ot the body por lion, said grooves also forming seats 'for sheathing said molding :flanges by movement ol the frame-members transversely of said molding, said retaining'lnember also having between said grooves an inverted channel portion for holding the inner falls of the grooves in spaced relationship from each other and in lrietional engagement with the molding flanges, and also being provided `with lateral portions on the outer sides ol said grooves extending into abutment with the outer surface of the side walls and holding the outer walls of said grooves in spaced relationship from the side walls ol the channelshaped member and in frictional engagenient with said reverse margins.

8. A sheet metal door embodying a panelt a panel molding having integral and spaced rectilinear marginal flanges extending parallel with the surfaces ol said panel on op positie sides thereof, stile and rail trame members, each comprising a hollow unit, substantially rectangular in eross-seelion formed ol a channel-shaped body-portion having side walls and parallel marginal portions and a retaining member to connect the liree margins ol the said side Walls together, said retaining member having longitudi nally disposed rectilinear grooves extending in the saine direction as said molding flanges and forming seats for sheathing said molding flanges by a inoven'ient of the fram member transversely ot said molding, and a pin for fastening each frame-member to a molding, said pin passing transverseh7 through one of the side Walls of said channelshaped body-portion, through the walls ot the said grooves, and thrtmgh said molding nnnfgins.

i ANDREWT J. CONNELL. JACOB COHEi. 

